Skin Care

Image: vivek raj

Fruits are good sources of fiber and essential nutrients. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends eating 1.5 cups of fruits for women and 2 cups for men on a daily basis.
Different fruits benefit the body in various ways. If you’re keen about keeping your skin healthy and radiant, then you should start including apples in your diet.

Nutrients That Benefit Your Skin

Whether you’re eating the fruit as it is or adding them to your favorite cup of yogurt, drink, or even including them in your meals, apples can provide you with a wide array of nutrients that benefit the skin. Some of these include the following:
Vitamin A
If you’d like to have or maintain your healthy skin, then you have to make sure that you’re having sufficient vitamin A in your diet.
Vitamin A comes in various forms. Some of the most popular ones include retinol and tretinoin. It stimulates the dermis, the area of the skin where the collagen and elastin can be found.
Aside from boosting the production of collagen, vitamin A also plays a role in skin exfoliation, cellular repair, skin hydration, and wound healing.
Apples may not be the best sources of vitamin A but a large apple contains about 120 international units of this skin-friendly and skin aging-fighting vitamin. That makes up about 5 percent of the daily vitamin A requirement.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the essential nutrients needed by the body for healthy and normal functioning. It provides the body with antioxidants and helps in repairing body tissues.
This vitamin is also needed by the body for iron absorption. Iron makes you feel more energized and hence, make you look more vibrant. When you’re having insufficient iron stores in the body, you would start to feel weak and look more stressed.
Aside from iron absorption, vitamin C also plays an important role in collagen production. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and can be found in the bones, muscles, tendons, and skin. It’s a vital structural component of the body and aids in maintaining the skin’s waterproof barrier. When there’s poor collagen production, old wounds can open up and it may lead to skin tearing.
The role of vitamin C in collagen production makes it an essential nutrient for aging men and women. In one study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it shows that one’s diet has a role to play in maintaining healthy skin. Researchers found out that there is an association between higher intake of vitamin C and having better skin-aging appearance.
An apple, weighing about 138 grams, can provide 6.3 milligrams of vitamin C. That’s approximately 10 percent of the daily recommended allowance for vitamin C.
Copper
Copper has a vital role to play in maintaining healthy skin. It helps in the production of collagen and elastin which are essential for maintaining the skin’s elasticity and strength. This mineral also provides antibacterial and anti-fungal properties which help in preventing skin infections.
Copper also has a part in the process of melanin production. Melanin is the substance that gives the skin its natural color. This substance protects the skin from the harmful effects of the ultraviolet rays from the sun. These UV rays contribute to several skin issues including skin cancer and premature skin aging.
A large apple contains about 60 micrograms of copper or about 7 percent of your daily copper requirements.

Incorporating Apple In Your Diet

Unlike other healthy food options that require some  preparation and creativity, apples are pretty much simpler. You can grab them as you go for a quick but healthy snack. When you’re feeling more creative, you can use it to top your yogurt, incorporate it in your drinks, or add them to your savory main dishes. These fruits taste good and can easily be blended with other ingredients.
Apples may not always keep the doctor at bay but will definitely help you achieve that youthful and healthy-looking skin.  
Grab an apple today and your skin will thank you for it.

Image: Vic

You’ll notice a lot of changes in our body as you age; this includes skin sagging. It may appear as fluid bags under the eyes. This can happen as a result of weakening of tissue muscles and structures that support the eyelids. It may worsen by other factors like excessive sodium intake, hormonal fluctuation, sleeping position, and infection.
Excessive Sodium Intake
Sodium is needed by the body to help in regulating the amount of fluid. However, when there’s too much sodium than the kidneys can handle, it builds up in the blood.
The thing with sodium is that it attracts and absorbs water. So, too much sodium in the blood can lead to fluid retention in the body including the area under the eyes.
Hormonal Fluctuations
The fluctuations of the hormones estrogen and progesterone contribute to the fluid retention of women who are pregnant and those who are approaching menopause. This fluid retention may show on the area under the eyes.
Sleeping Position
When you’re sleeping flat, it’s harder for the nasal cavities to drain excessive fluid. Hence, it’s better to sleep with your head elevated especially as you age.
Infection
The sinus cavities found below the eyes are responsible for filtering bacteria and air. When there’s an infection in these cavities, it can lead to poor drainage of both mucus and fluid. This can result to puffiness under the eyes.

How to Smooth Out Fluid Bags Under the Eyes

Fluid bags under the eyes aren’t good to look at. They make you look tired and older than your actual age. The good news is, you can do something to smooth them out. Here are some ways on how you can do that:
1. Keep the skin hydrated
Dry skin makes skin sagging more obvious. This is a problem many aging women face.
Skin dryness can be worsened by other factors like smoking, unprotected sun exposure, and diet. You can keep your skin hydrated by drinking plenty of water, using mild soap, and using a moisturizer that’s appropriate for your skin type.
2. Limit your alcohol intake
Alcohol can lead to eye puffiness because it lowers the anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) in the body. ADH helps the kidneys in regulating the amount of fluid in the body. When there’s low level of ADH in the body, fluid regulation is disrupted, leading to fluid retention.
3. Quit smoking
Smokers are four times more likely to suffer from poor sleep than non-smokers. Plus, the smoking habit can cause skin dryness and robs the skin from its needed vitamins (like vitamin C) which aggravates the dark circles and bags under the eyes.
4. Change your sleeping position
Sleeping on your back can prevent proper drainage of fluid, causing it to build up around the eyes. To smooth out the fluid bags, you may want to add extra pillow under your head. However, you need to make sure that this pillow is effective in giving you better sleep as the lack of sleep can aggravate your problem.
5. Watch your sodium intake
Too much sodium intake can lead to fluid retention which may accumulate on the area surrounding your eyes. Limit your sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams a day. A good way to do that is by cutting back on highly processed food.
6. Do an eye massage
Doing facial exercises is another option for smoothing out fluid bags under the eyes. The following are simple eye exercises that can help reduce eye puffiness:

• With your eyes wide open, move your eyeballs in different directions – left, right, up, down, and diagonal. Complete one cycle and then repeat. Do this for five times.
• Begin by closing your eyes. Press the puffed area using your index, middle, and ring finger. Press the area for at least 5 minutes.
• Using the index finger of both hands, slightly press and massage your temples. Do it for at least 5 minutes.

Try these tips and you’ll see how reducing the eye puffiness can make you look more well-rested, relaxed, and young-looking.

Image: Juanedc

Several studies have shown how sleep is vital for physical health. The lack of sleep can lead to overeating, problems in learning and memory, and increases the risk of developing serious health problems like cardiovascular diseases. However, it turns out that sleep isn’t just important for this aspect of health; it’s also vital for skin health. The lack of sleep can trigger or exacerbate skin problems.

Sleep and Your Skin

When you’re deprived of quality sleep, your body produces more cortisol. It’s the stress hormone that increases oil production and leads to skin inflammation. This is why when you lack sleep, you are more prone to acne breakouts.
The lack of sleep can also exacerbate some skin conditions like eczema and atopic dermatitis. This can be a vicious cycle as itchiness from these skin problems can lead to disruption in sleep. And sleep deprivation can lead to elevated level of stress hormones, intensifying the inflammatory process of these skin conditions.
With these effects of sleep on your skin, it is therefore important to make sure that you’re getting the right amount and quality of sleep especially if you’re keen on improving your skin.

Tips for Improving Your Sleep and Skin

If you’re struggling in getting the right quality and quantity of sleep, then the following tips can help you out:
1. Avoid caffeine hours before your sleeping time
Caffeine is one of the most known stimulants in the world. In fact, in a 2001 Sleep in America poll, over 40% of the respondents admitted that they’re “very likely” to use caffeinated beverages to fight off daytime sleepiness.
The drug works by blocking the sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain. It affects the body very quickly, reaching its peak level in the blood within 30 and 60 minutes.
Drinking caffeine hours before you sleep disrupts both the quality and quantity of your sleep. Research shows that caffeine can affect your body clock which can reduce your total sleeping time. It takes a while for the body to process and eliminate caffeine that experts suggest avoiding it 6 hours prior to bedtime.
2. Sleep with your humidifier on
Sleeping with the humidifier on through the night can help soothe dry skin especially during winter. The humidifier keeps your skin hydrated, keeping your skin supple. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll also notice how smooth and soft your lips and hands feel. So, if you haven’t bought yourself a humidifier, then it’s time to get one now.
3. Do not forget to wash your face
Hitting the bed without washing your face is a big no-no. All throughout the day, your skin gets to carry several pollutants which can damage your healthy skin cells. Plus, leaving your makeup on overnight can clog your pores and lead to acne breakouts, splotchy patches, and even redness.
A healthy and beautiful skin begins with cleansing. When washing your face, make sure to use a mild cleanser that suits your skin type. Some cleansers can be too harsh for your skin, stripping off its natural moisture.
4. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize
Moisturizing should be part of your nighttime skincare routine especially if you’re in your 40s. This is because as you age, you lose your skin’s natural moisture. It’s when your skin gets dehydrated that fine lines start to appear.
Fight the signs of skin aging by using quality moisturizer. Opt for those containing retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid as these ingredients are known to hydrate the skin by attracting water into it. You may also want to include application of lip balm and lash conditioner in your routine as these also help in keeping your lips and eyelashes moisturized.
5. Change your pillowcases regularly
Keeping your face clean before hitting the bed will only be put into waste if you don’t change your pillowcases regularly. Dust, dead skin cells, and sweat can accumulate on your pillowcases and resting your clean skin on them can only trigger skin inflammation and irritation.
Making sure that your pillowcases are changed regularly is one way of keeping your skin healthy while you sleep. It’s best to change them at least twice a week. You can flip your pillows over on days when you’re not changing their covers.
6. Sleep on your back
Sleeping on the side or on the tummy may be the more comfortable position for some but this can lead to creases on the skin. These lines tend to go away quite quickly when you’re younger. But as you advance in age and as your skin loses its natural moisture and suppleness, these creases can lead to permanent fine lines. You can avoid this from happening by training yourself to sleep on your back.
7. Avoid alcohol and salty food before bedtime
Drinking alcohol and eating salty food before bedtime is the dreaded formula for that puffy-eye look. Alcohol and salt tend to dehydrate the body. To compensate, the body tries to draw fluid around certain areas including your eyes. You can combat this effect though by adding an extra pillow to help drain the fluid.

These are just some of the tips to help you get better sleep at night and wake up refreshed, well-rested, and most of all, with the quality of skin you’ll be proud of.

Image: Emilian Robert Vicol

One of the most common misconceptions we have when it comes to aging is that it’s solely affected by time. But studies reveal that there are several other factors that affect the aging process. These include exposure to certain environmental factors, lifestyle, nutrition, and stress.

Environmental Factors

Sun Exposure
Sun exposure accounts to many cases of premature skin aging. Long-term exposure to the sun’s UV rays lead to wrinkles, pigmentation, loss of skin’s elasticity, and skin dullness. Study shows that multiple exposure to the UV rays lead to an increased level of matrix metalloproteinases, a family of enzymes, causing damage to the skin’s collagen.
Collagen is what gives the skin structure and strength. When it’s damaged, it can lead to skin sagging and wrinkling.
Pollution
Pollution is another thing that affects the skin’s aging. In a study conducted, it shows that airborne particles are in direct proportion to the signs of aging. Increase in soot also leads to an increase in pigment spots and wrinkles. This can be due to the presence polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) found in the nanoparticles in the air. These particles produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can have the same damaging effect as the UV rays.

Lifestyle

Smoking
Since 1970s, studies have been conducted to find out the effects of smoking on the skin. These studies show that smoking is one of those factors that can premature skin aging. It can disrupt collagen production and causes damage to the elastic fibers.
Excessive Alcohol Drinking
An occasional drink or two won’t cause harm but when one resorts to drinking more than one glass per day, then that’s where the problem begins.
Alcohol is known for its dehydrating effects on the skin. So the more alcohol you drink, the drier your skin looks.

Nutrition

One of the things that you should watch for when eating is the amount of sugar in your food or drink. It’s because sugar can attach itself to proteins and lead to creation of new molecules. These new molecules cause damage to the surrounding proteins including collagen and elastin.

Stress

Whether it’s due to work or personal problems, chronic stress can make you look older. When you’re stressed, the nutrients for your skin are redirected to your vital organs like the heart, brain, and lungs to cope with the situation. If this happens frequently and for too long, the skin can look dry and dull.

Delaying the Effects of Aging

Learning the different factors that affect skin aging can help you identify ways to delay the effects of it on your skin. Below are some the effective ways to do it:
1. Alway wear sunscreen
Exposure to UV radiation isn’t just the culprit for cases of skin cancer but also for premature skin aging. Wearing sunscreen is one easy yet effective way to delay the effect of aging on the skin. In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, it shows that those who regularly apply sunscreen are less likely to have increased skin aging after 4.5 years.
2. Stay hydrated
This may sound so simple but many of us are trading water for soda. This poses a problem as hydrating yourself with soda is completely different with water. Soda is loaded with sugar and other additives that do not just contribute to the growing obesity problem but as well contribute to premature skin aging.
Water, in most parts of the world, is free. It hydrates your skin and helps improve its elasticity without the added guilt (it’s zero calories).
3. Get sufficient sleep
Getting sufficient sleep provides damaged cells with sufficient time to heal themselves. This could not happen if deep sleep is disrupted or if you’re getting less than the required number of sleeping hours.
Avoiding heavy meals in the evening, limiting TV watching or gadget use at least 30 minutes before bedtime, establishing sleeping routine, and learning to manage stress are ways to help get better sleep each night.
4. Establish skin care routine
Having a skin care routine helps in delaying skin aging. However, it can only be that effective if you’re choosing the right products based on your skin type and existing needs of your skin.
5. Move your facial muscles
More women are now getting into facial exercise. It is based on a premise that facial muscles are like other muscles in the body. If you’re not ‘working them out’ regularly, they can sag and make you look older than your actual age.
Compared to surgical facelift, doing facial exercise won’t cost you that much and is not an invasive procedure. You can do it at home or with the guidance of an expert.
6.Eat healthy
Your skin is a reflection of what you eat. If you want to look like as if you stop the hands of time, then eating healthy should not just be an option but your way of life. Some of the foods that can keep you young-looking include shiitake mushrooms, oatmeal, grapefruit, and walnuts.
7. Quit smoking
Smoking doesn’t just predispose you to lung cancer and other chronic diseases; it also damages your skin, causing premature skin aging. If you want to keep your youthful glow, then quitting smoking is a good choice.
Your age may be the result of time but how your skin looks as you age depends on how you take care of it. These 7 tips may not assure you of wrinkle-free skin but they can definitely help achieve that young-looking and glowing skin.